Grimracer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2001
- Messages
- 9,529
Andy. Keep us posted when its done..
RJ.. great job on the BB up-power.. Make sure you report back.
Bill.. I ran out to the rocket and waked back.. INTO THE WIND..
Here is the lanch report from wed night.. some BIG stuff flew!
Grim
From one of the club members.. make sure to go to the photo site
> Thanks to everyone who came out to watch and help with today's launch.
> Every single person who showed up played a role in our ability to fly
> the first test of the U of I team's NASA University Student Launch
> Initiative rocket. This just wouldn't have happened without great
> cooperation, especially given the very short notice and brief launch
> window. Gary, Greg, Mike Z., Jonathan, Chris, Lon, and Adam: thank you
> very much.
>
> In a strong, southwesterly wind, we set up a "far" pad, 200' out from
> the launch control table, where Lon erected a 16' tall rail supported by
> guy lines. While the USLI team assembled their rocket, Mike Z. broke
> the ice with a great flight of his Astra G (a North Coast Phantom 4000)
> on an Aerotech G64 motor. This gave us a pretty good idea of the
> direction (and distance) that rockets would drift in that breeze (bit of
> a walk, eh, Mike?).
>
> The UIUC Illinois Space Society USLI rocket, a modified Hawk Mountain
> Beast was fully assembled by about 6PM. The rocket carried a
> PerfectFlite MAWD+ recording, dual deployment altimeter and also an
> Altus Metrum Telemetrum dual deployment altimeter with an accelerometer,
> GPS, and telemetry capability. Both devices were set to activate
> redundant ejection charges, deploying a drogue chute at apogee, and a
> 10' main at 700'. There's additional work to be accomplished on this
> rocket in the coming days, including a rather complex payload of
> environmental data collection devices and an autonomous still camera.
> The Beast is a 4" fiberglass rocket, just over 10 feet tall. Today's
> motor was an Aerotech K828FJ, and the rocket's flying weight was not
> quite 20 lbs. The rocket had a great boost, turning just slightly into
> the wind, but otherwise quite straight and fast, with the telltale black
> smoke trail of a Black Jack motor. The main and drogue parachutes
> deployed on schedule, and the rocket made a soft landing just a short
> walk from the launch area. Peak altitude was over 5600'. A great
> flight. We'll look forward to the upcoming developments with this
> rocket, perhaps more local tests, and it's competition flight at the
> USLI event in Huntsville, Alabama on April 16th. Best wishes to the
> UIUC USLI team.
>
> As the USLI team disassembled their rocket, Lon Westfall prepared his
> carbon fiber, Performance Rocketry Concept 75, a 3" diameter, 7.5' tall
> rocket with a CTI K650-16A Smoky Sam motor, and also used dual
> deployment recovery. I believe that this rocket is just under 10 lbs.
> Since Lon expected this flight to be over 8000', with a chance that we'd
> lose sight of it, we attached a tracking transmitter. With minutes left
> on the waiver, and a rapidly setting sun, the rocket was launched.
> Another great boost on a trail of black smoke, but the descent was
> difficult to follow, with the rocket disappearing and reappearing in the
> changing sunlight. Although we were unable to see the landing, the
> rocket was found after a visual search of the area and a lucky break
> with the radio direction-finding equipment. The rocket landed north
> east of the launch area, straddling a drainage stream, with the payload
> bay submerged in the water. The soggy altimeter seemed to report apogee
> over 9000'. Great job, Lon!
>
> I've begun a Smugmug gallery for Wednesday's event at:
>
> . Lots of folks were taking pictures, so I hope you'll see more than
> these measly cell phone shots soon.
RJ.. great job on the BB up-power.. Make sure you report back.
Bill.. I ran out to the rocket and waked back.. INTO THE WIND..
Here is the lanch report from wed night.. some BIG stuff flew!
Grim
From one of the club members.. make sure to go to the photo site
> Thanks to everyone who came out to watch and help with today's launch.
> Every single person who showed up played a role in our ability to fly
> the first test of the U of I team's NASA University Student Launch
> Initiative rocket. This just wouldn't have happened without great
> cooperation, especially given the very short notice and brief launch
> window. Gary, Greg, Mike Z., Jonathan, Chris, Lon, and Adam: thank you
> very much.
>
> In a strong, southwesterly wind, we set up a "far" pad, 200' out from
> the launch control table, where Lon erected a 16' tall rail supported by
> guy lines. While the USLI team assembled their rocket, Mike Z. broke
> the ice with a great flight of his Astra G (a North Coast Phantom 4000)
> on an Aerotech G64 motor. This gave us a pretty good idea of the
> direction (and distance) that rockets would drift in that breeze (bit of
> a walk, eh, Mike?).
>
> The UIUC Illinois Space Society USLI rocket, a modified Hawk Mountain
> Beast was fully assembled by about 6PM. The rocket carried a
> PerfectFlite MAWD+ recording, dual deployment altimeter and also an
> Altus Metrum Telemetrum dual deployment altimeter with an accelerometer,
> GPS, and telemetry capability. Both devices were set to activate
> redundant ejection charges, deploying a drogue chute at apogee, and a
> 10' main at 700'. There's additional work to be accomplished on this
> rocket in the coming days, including a rather complex payload of
> environmental data collection devices and an autonomous still camera.
> The Beast is a 4" fiberglass rocket, just over 10 feet tall. Today's
> motor was an Aerotech K828FJ, and the rocket's flying weight was not
> quite 20 lbs. The rocket had a great boost, turning just slightly into
> the wind, but otherwise quite straight and fast, with the telltale black
> smoke trail of a Black Jack motor. The main and drogue parachutes
> deployed on schedule, and the rocket made a soft landing just a short
> walk from the launch area. Peak altitude was over 5600'. A great
> flight. We'll look forward to the upcoming developments with this
> rocket, perhaps more local tests, and it's competition flight at the
> USLI event in Huntsville, Alabama on April 16th. Best wishes to the
> UIUC USLI team.
>
> As the USLI team disassembled their rocket, Lon Westfall prepared his
> carbon fiber, Performance Rocketry Concept 75, a 3" diameter, 7.5' tall
> rocket with a CTI K650-16A Smoky Sam motor, and also used dual
> deployment recovery. I believe that this rocket is just under 10 lbs.
> Since Lon expected this flight to be over 8000', with a chance that we'd
> lose sight of it, we attached a tracking transmitter. With minutes left
> on the waiver, and a rapidly setting sun, the rocket was launched.
> Another great boost on a trail of black smoke, but the descent was
> difficult to follow, with the rocket disappearing and reappearing in the
> changing sunlight. Although we were unable to see the landing, the
> rocket was found after a visual search of the area and a lucky break
> with the radio direction-finding equipment. The rocket landed north
> east of the launch area, straddling a drainage stream, with the payload
> bay submerged in the water. The soggy altimeter seemed to report apogee
> over 9000'. Great job, Lon!
>
> I've begun a Smugmug gallery for Wednesday's event at:
>
> . Lots of folks were taking pictures, so I hope you'll see more than
> these measly cell phone shots soon.
